She added: “I can say that, if you imagine Love Actually but directed by a sort of Lars von Trier, then that's the world that we're in. I'm really looking forward to it.

“It's a female writer-director, and she's a first-time director. It's going to be fun. I hope it works. If it works, it'll be really fun.”

Keira Knightley in festive movie classic Love Actually (Universal)

Von Trier is best known for directing boundary-pushing, violent and sexual movies including Nymphomaniac, Antichrist and The House That Jack Built.

The film is being produced and financed by Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn’s Marv Films, and produced by Trudie Styler and Celine Rattray’s Maven Pictures. Matthew Goode and Annabelle Wallis will star alongside Knightley and Jojo Rabbit star Roman Griffin Davis, the director’s son.

In a statement Vaughn said: “Camille’s script is haunting and original – I was immediately captivated when I read it. I am very excited to be supporting her directorial debut and I can’t wait to make this film alongside Celine and Trudie.”

The star said she’d jump at the chance to portray Josephine de Beauharnais — the woman who went on to marry Napoleon Bonaparte.

She added: “It's set in The Terror in the French Revolution and that's interesting isn't it?

“Anyone that's written a script or anyone who fancies spending a lot of money trying to do the French Revolution, I'm totally in.”

Keira Knightley as activist Sally Alexander in Misbehaviour (Pathe)

In Misbehaviour, Knightley plays feminist activist Sally Alexander, who was one of a group of women’s liberation protesters who threw flour bombs at comedian Bob Hope during the Miss World event in 1970.

Greg Kinnear plays Hope, while Gugu Mbatha-Raw appears as Miss World winner Jennifer Hosten and Jessie Buckley plays another of the activists.